Century Marks

Nov 04, 2008

Brazil apologizes: Because of his close association with Dom Helder Câmara, the Catholic archbishop who was an outspoken critic of Brazil’s harsh military rule in the years 1964-1985, Methodist missionary Fred Morris was kidnapped by the Brazilian military in 1974, confined for 17 days and severely tortured, then expelled from the country. (Morris wrote an account of his ordeal for the Century’s January 22, 1975, issue.) But last month Morris was invited back to Brazil by the Ministry of Justice’s Amnesty Commission. Along with a few other victims of the former dictatorship, he was given an apology and was formally asked for forgiveness in a ceremony attended by government and church officials. Morris said he was especially moved when a Brazilian Methodist bishop asked forgiveness for the Brazilian Methodist Church’s failure to come to his aid in 1974.